Mr. Romney and the R.N.C. raised $40.1 million in April, just shy of the $43.6 million that Mr. Obama and the Democratic National Committee raised for the month.

The contributions on behalf of Mr. Romney represent a huge jump over the $12.6 million that his campaign raised in March. The increase was made possible by donors coalescing around Mr. Romney as the nominee and the larger donations that can be directed to the party, campaign officials said.

“Voters are tired of President Obama’s broken promises,” said Reince Priebus, the chairman of the R.N.C. in a statement. “Mitt Romney has the record and plan to turn our country around – that is why he is receiving such enthusiastic support from voters across the country.”

Aides to Mr. Romney noted that the total might have been even higher if the joint fund-raising effort — known as the “Victory” campaign — had begun sooner. The campaign and the R.N.C. announced they were joining forces on April 4 but did not hold the first combined event until April 14, nearly halfway through the month.

Mr. Romney had lost ground in the money wars to Mr. Obama during the first quarter of 2012 as he battled with his Republican rivals for the nomination. As of the end of March, Mr. Obama had 10 times the cash on hand as Mr. Romney.

But the surge in fund-raising for Mr. Romney may begin to even the scales, at least as far as the campaigns and their official party support is concerned. Democrats still fear that outside groups like “super PACs” and other organizations will tip the financial balance in Mr. Romney’s favor.

In a statement set to go out on Thursday morning, Mr. Romney’s campaign will report a cash-on-hand total of $61.4 million as of the end of April. The campaign says that 95 percent of the donations in April were $250 or less.

“We are pleased with the strong support we have received from Americans across the country who are looking for new leadership in the White House,” said Spencer Zwick, Mr. Romney’s finance chairman, in the statement.

The campaign contributions will help finance an air war between the candidates that is already well under way. Mr. Obama has announced a $25 million television ad campaign for May aimed at boosting his record as president. And outside groups backing Mr. Romney have pledged millions more.

But Mr. Romney also has the challenge of catching up to Mr. Obama in staffing campaign offices around the country. Mr. Obama’s Chicago-based campaign has spent months opening field offices and hiring staff while Mr. Romney fought for the nomination.

Both campaigns have set ambitious goals for fund-raising. Mr. Romney’s advisers have said he could raise as much as $800 million for his White House bid. Mr. Obama’s campaign has said they might raise close to $750 million for the president.

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